How to darken a Pine bed frame?

Hi everyone,

I have a lovely pine (I think) sleigh bed which has gone very yellow. Id love to remove the varnish and change it to a darker walnut colour, but understand pine does not take dark stains very evenly. So Im considering stripping and sanding it and then maybe applying paint. I believe applying a shellac primer, sealer, and stain blocker ie Zinsser Bulls Eye 1-2-3 is ideal to prevent the yellow bleed coming through, but then I dont know how to introduce the darker colour.

Could anyone suggest a possible process?

I really appreciate your time and advice.

Thanks Elizabeth

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EricL

Hello @ElizabethB

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's sensational to have you join us, and thanks for sharing your question about your headboard.

Your proposed idea of using Zinsser Bulls Eye 1-2-3 is ideal as Zinsser is a very good product. However, it will seal the timber and prevent it from getting stained. Placing a stain over the primer is not going to work. You'll be able to paint the bed a darker colour, but you will not be able to stain it and the primer will hide the timber features of the surface. If you wish to test the walnut finish, I propose sanding a section of the back of the headboard say 500mm x 500mm back to timber. You can then use a fine brush to test the Bondall 250ml Walnut Monocel Stain And Varnish on the sanded surface. If you are happy with the results, you can then commit to sanding the entire bedframe and staining it in the walnut finish.

Here is a handy guide that will help: How To Restore Furniture

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric

ElizabethB

Hi Eric,

Thank you for sharing your expertise. I really appreciate your time.

Kind regards,

Elizabeth

EricL

Hello @ElizabethB

There are some combination products such as a stain and varnish saving you from having to do double handling. But if you prefer to do it in that fashion of stain and seal it is definitely possible. My best advice would be to use the same branded products such as Feast Watson or Cabot's as they have combination products. Please speak to the paint specialist to make sure the stain you'll be using is compatible with the sealer you'll be placing on top of it.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

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